Elite Dangerous is not a sandbox

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Aewarin Jameson

Aewarin Jameson
Fromhell said:
Yeah, so World of Warcraft is a sandbox MMO?

Prove me wrong
Click to expand...

Challenge accepted.

Strictly speaking a "sandbox" game is one where the player can manipulate the world they live in - true examples of this would be Minecraft. You can literally change the landscape to how you feel.

WoW is an "open world" game whereby you are free to do as you please but you're constrained by game rules. The houses in Stormwind are fixed - you can't move them about; the instanced dungeons you play in - they are fixed and never changing. (OK - some randomisation but you as a player can't add a new tunnel of your choice)

Ergo - WoW is not a true "sandbox" game.

Also, take a look here
An "open world" game does not necessarily imply a sandbox. In a true "sandbox", the player has tools to modify the world themselves and create how they play. Generally open world games still enforce some restrictions in the game environment, either due to absolute technical limitations or in-game limitations (such as locked areas) imposed by a game's linearity.
Click to expand...
(Emphasis mine)

Yes I know - not everything on Wiki is correct, but in this case it serves a purpose to help differentiate between "sandbox" games and "open world" games.

Do I get a cookie ?
 

ElGuappo

ElGuappo
I want to dock at a space station, do some trading and check a mission board of some sort, both player generated and game generated.

I want to see a ridiculously sized blip on my radar that, as I get close to it and begin to see the outline of some colossal - maybe military, maybe not - ship, it's gone and becomes a rare thing few have ever glimpsed.

I want to find a derelict space station, damaged and dark and be able to fly through it just... to look. One day I can hope of landing and exploring... but for now, I'll settle for looking and wondering.

Or a long lost ship orbiting a minor moon in the back of beyond, reading the name by the light of my ship.

A swarm of small fighters attacking a great lumbering cargo ship, damaged and losing canisters. Help or loot?

I want to play for a week and see nothing of any real note at all.

I want word to get round that someone's found a resource rich asteroid field somewhere, to fly in and see dozens of miners trying their luck.

I want, I want, I want.

But all I need is to point my ship in any direction and know that, eventually, I'll find something that justifies the journey, even if it's just something to see. And in that regard, ED is off to a blinding start.
 

Stormprooter

Stormprooter
I've only just realised a very simple (personal) truth:
E : D is what it is, irrespective of whether it is 'labelled' correctly, or incorrectly, as a sandbox/open world/themepark/MMO or whatever.
Even less important than that is the actual correctness of anyone's interpretation of above listed game types.

However, this is only my opinion. :D
 

devastat

D
I am also worried about the fact that there are no player driven content in the game. I am still hopeful that Elite will evolve towards a true sandbox experience in time.

One element that seems completely missing at the moment is means of communication between players, but I guess all these things will be implemented in beta.

I for one will be done with Elite in 30 hours if it's all trading and fighting.
 
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Luniticisi

Luniticisi
This has been a long and interesting read, I think the argument on Sand-box or not is totally pointless, If you want a pigeon-hole to place ED in, it sits nicely along with 3 other games : Elite, Frontier: Elite 2 and Frontier First Encounters ... Not Eve, WoW, Skyrim or any of the other game's that have been mentioned.

Now as to the content - wanting capital ships, player owed planets/corp's and the like. That just isn't Elite and hopefully will never be. If people are looking for resource management, Player run economy and other features of Eve, why not play Eve?

I definitely don't want to see things imported from other game genres, like MMO style player controlled markets, where everything is available (usually for highly exaggerated prices).. That would completely destroy the game, as what would be the point of adventuring out into the stars, searching out that great deal, or special piece of tech if you could just go to the player market (Stock exchange) which would probably be at every base, and get it there (for a price)

If you are not into the idea of "One man/Woman, One Ship and 100 credits" following your OWN story by Trading, Bounty Hunting, Mining, Piracy or exploration and whatever else the tried and tested (for 30 years) "Elite style" of gameplay mechanic's offers you, Then I feel that Elite: Dangerous may not the game for you ..
 

_Flin_

_Flin_
Luniticisi said:
Now as to the content - wanting capital ships, player owed planets/corp's and the like. That just isn't Elite and hopefully will never be. If people are looking for resource management, Player run economy and other features of Eve, why not play Eve?

...

I definitely don't want to see things imported from other game genres, like MMO style player controlled markets, where everything is available (usually for highly exaggerated prices).. That would completely destroy the game, as what would be the point of adventuring out into the stars, searching out that great deal, or special piece of tech if you could just go to the player market (Stock exchange) which would probably be at every base, and get it there (for a price)

If you are not into the idea of "One man/Woman, One Ship and 100 credits" following your OWN story by Trading, Bounty Hunting, Mining, Piracy or exploration and whatever else the tried and tested (for 30 years) "Elite style" of gameplay mechanic's offers you, Then I feel that Elite: Dangerous may not the game for you ..
Click to expand...

If you put the "one man, one ship and 100 credits" under a magnifying glass, this happens:
- why do you start with 1000 credits?
- why can you hire mercenaries, then you have more than 1 ship?
- why do you have more than one man on your ship, even if NPC?
- why do you can group with others? Then you are more than 1!

So open your mind a little bit and let room for creativity and other opinions.
 

Ajiro

A
The sandbox genre defines itself by allowing the player to choose what he/she wants to do in the game with the recources the player has been given.

Just because people can't own stations, pilot massive capital ships and manufacture ships, modules and the likes doesn't make the game less of a sandbox.

This might show that this isn't a game for people who would like to log in once in a while and see their cash pile grow just because they own an entire station. It's all about soaring through space and trying to make a living, not living off of other people(except for pirates).

TL; DR: Elite Dangerous is a sandbox game even if it doesn't fit in with what you feel is a sandbox game.
 

Luniticisi

Luniticisi
_Flin_ said:
If you put the "one man, one ship and 100 credits" under a magnifying glass, this happens:
- why do you start with 1000 credits?
- why can you hire mercenaries, then you have more than 1 ship?
- why do you have more than one man on your ship, even if NPC?
- why do you can group with others? Then you are more than 1!

So open your mind a little bit and let room for creativity and other opinions.
Click to expand...

1 - you start with 1000 credits because the game is in alpha and the FD team probably gave people a little head start to speed up testing a little. (the basic start WILL be 100 credits)

2 - YOU are still 1 man 1 ship

3 - It's still YOUR ship (see 2)

4 - See 2

I have no problem with creativity and others opinions .. but what some people are suggesting just isn't Elite .. it's some other game - if people come up with better ways to improve the game dynamically while still keeping with the core design of an "Elite" game, I am all for it - Changing the core mechanics of an "Elite" game, i don't like ..
 
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Kerrash

Kerrash
This is all I need:
NDhrlGdl.jpg
 

Nagual

Nagual
In the words of Mr Shadey:

And I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
I don't know it's just the way I am


Does it really matter?
 
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